This proposal requests support for an international conference to examine the correct state of the art "of quality of life research in cancer". The proposal represents a unique international collaborative effort between the National Cancer Institute of Italy, the Floriani Foundation, a private Foundation, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the newly created International Psycho-Oncology Society (IPOS). As such, it represents a landmark conference on this important topic. These efforts are being organized by Dr. Ventafridda who is Director of the Pain Therapy Division of the Italian Cancer Institute and who is the designated WHO Collaborative center for cancer pain relief. Dr. Jimmie Holland, Chief of Psychiatry at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and Organizer of IPOS, serves as Co-Program Director. The Organizing Committee consists of Drs. Tamburini and De Conno, representing the Italian Cancer Institute, Mrs. Segre, the Floriani Foundation and Dr. Fritz van Dam, Dutch National Cancer Institute, Amsterdam, who has founded the EORTC quality of life studies and who is internationally recognised in this area. The proposal seeks support to bring several outstanding investigators to this workshop to present their work and to address current methodological problems in this area of assessment. The publication which will be produced from the workshop will provide the field of oncology with up-to-date information gleaned from this internationally recognised group of investigators in quality of life research. The workshop is organized into two sessions. The first session(limited attendance) addresses the theoreticl and methodological issues in quality of life research, with attention to the cross cultural aspects. Current assessment tools in clinical trials research, patient care, and health policy decisions. The second session (open) presents methodological issues from the oncologic and social science perspective, relating them to quality of life concerns and pain control in specific cancer sites; head and neck, breast, lung and childhood tumours.